Mount Etna, located on the island of Sicily, erupted at approximately 11:24 AM local time on Monday, generating a significant plume of ash, gas, and rock. This event is the latest episode in the continuing story of Europe’s largest, most active volcano. The eruption was reported by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), which has been closely monitoring the volcano’s behavior.
The volcanic plume released by Mount Etna extended to an altitude of about 6.5 km, over four miles. After the eruption, aviation authorities released a red alert. This rule intends to provide safety not just for operations on the airport, but among flights in the adjacent airspace. On the other side of this major volcanic disruption, Catania airport is still running, with all flights arriving and departing as scheduled.
In response to the environmental disaster, regional officials have promised the public that there is no immediate threat to residents. Renato Schifani, President of the region of Sicily, stated, “The partial collapse of the south-east crater, which generated an impressive eruptive cloud several kilometres high and a pyroclastic flow, is a phenomenon that we follow with extreme caution.” He tried to reassure citizens further by saying that experts have determined Mount Etna does not pose an immediate danger to people living in the area.
Authorities are making special precautionary efforts to protect the international community and residents of the island. Salvo Cocina, pictured above, heads the regional unit of civil protection. He cautions both tourists and residents to avoid the summit region of the volcano during this time of heightened activity. Government officials have reported that lava flows are Northbound 70 continuing. Yet, they haven’t yet gone into the Valley of the Lions, which is a popular, must-see area among tourists.
As the activity proceeded, the explosive activity has turned into a spectacular lava fountain, writes the INGV. This shift is a well-known phenomenon during eruptions. While the plume of ash is projected to settle out primarily to the southwest, officials remain vigilant and monitor events very closely.